Fuel-heating device for internal-combustion engines.



L. A., E. T. 6. E. L. STRAUBEL. FUEL HEATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTDION ENGINES.

. APPLICATION FILEDSEPT-4f19l3.

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Patented Apr. 4, 1916 L a u/s 4 frrwzssr 7; Sr P4 WITNESSES 6 ATTORNEYS were siraras rirraiu r orna e;

LOUIS A. STRAU'BEL, ERNEST T. STEAUBEL, AND EDNARD L. STRAUBEL, 0F GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

FUEL-HEATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Specification of Letterslatent.

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Original application filed March 11, 1913, Serial Ito. 7535M. Divided and this application filed September 4, 1913. Serial No. 788,111.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Louis A. STRAUBEL, ERNEST T. STRAUBEL, and EDWARD L. STRAU- BEL, citizens of the United States, and residents of Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Wisconsin, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel- Heating Devices for Internal-Combustion- Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in connection with internal combustion'engines, and is a division ofour application #753,647, which was filed March 11,1913.

The object of our present improvement is to provide means whereby the fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine may be heated to a high temperature before introduction within the working cylinder, and without producing an amount of friction in the passage of the fuel as would tend to destroy or impair the free circulation thereof. We attain these objects by means of a mechanism hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in. which,

Figure 1 is avertical section through a two-cycle engine and its vapor heating passage and mixing valve, showing the carbureter in connection therewith, and, Fig.

2 is a similar view taken at right angles through the vapor heating passage .and mixing valve.

To illustrate-the invention a two-cycle type of engine has been employed, although it is to be understoodthat the heating device maybe used on four-cycle engines as well.

In the engine shown, 1 indicates the cylinder, 2 the crank case, 3 the piston, at the connecting rod, 5 the inlet port 6 the gas passage or by-pass, and 7 the exhaust port.

8 is an exhaust passage to which the exhaust pipe 9 is connected, an d within this exhaust passage 8 is a heating device in the form of a U-shaped tube 10, the lower open ends of the extensions of which respectively communicate with ports 11 and 12.

13 is a carburetor or fuel supply, the outlet of which communicates with the port 12, the port 11 communicating with a mixing valve 14 having an opening 15 in its wall adapted to communicate with a mixing chamber 16 leading to the inlet port 5 of the engine. 1

17 is a supplemental air intake, the mixing valve 14 having an opening'lB in its wall which may be registered with this supplemental air intake in order to admit air when desired to be mixed with the thor-- oughly heated fuel from the return extension of the heating tube 10. As will be noted, particularly in Fig. 2, the mixing valve 14 has a handle 19 by which it may be rotated to control the mixture.

By the means described, we provide for highly heating the fuel before its introduc tion within the crank case of the engine through the inlet port 5, and in doing this by means of a return tube such as described, we accomplish the desired heating without subjecting the fuel to such friction as might destroy or impair the circulation of the intake fuel under the effect of the suction of the engine.

We have found that a gas produced from kerosene or other similar oils lacks stability when formed in the usual" way of forming gasolene gas, and to be perfectly volatilized must be heated to a high temperature. We

combustion, then beat it and admit the heated mixture to the engine, as in the case 'of the two-cycle engine where the heated gas is admitted to the crank case, the revolving parts become overheated and proper lubrication is prevented, and in both the twocycle and four-cycle engines, heating the mixture greatly reduces the volumetric efficiency of the gas. We have found also that the heated gas may be mixed with air at out door temperature with little loss from condensation and whenso used the charge becomes much more effective when compressed and exploded.

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine having an exhaust port and an inlet port and fuel ports located adjacent thereto and one of which is in communication with the inlet port, of means for supplying vaporized liquid fuel having com-- munication with the other of the fuel ports, a heating tube arranged within the exhaust passage of the engine and communicating "T Slll( at one end with one of the fuel ports and at its opposite end with the other fuel port and through which the liquid fuel from said sup )ly means circulates, and means between l inlet port and its con'ununicating fuel port for mixing the heated fuel with a desired quantity of cold air after its circulation through the heating tube and before."

entranee into the said inlet, all for the purpose 1 described.

2. In combinationwith an internal comhustion engine having an intake port, a cold air supply passage commul'licating with said port, and an exhaust port adjacent the intake port, a mixing valve in the said air pasfuel heating pipe extending longitudinally within the exhaust pipe and having its ends anchored in the said fuel ports and respectively communicating therewith.

3. An internal combustion engine having an exhaust pipe provided with a pair of separate fuel ports adjacent its inner end, a fuel heating pipe extending longitudinally of and within, the exhaust pipe from one of the fuel ports and having a return portion connected to the other fuel port, a fuel supply in communication with one of saidfuel ports, and a mixing valve having an air supply passage and through which the other fuel port is in communication with the intake port of the engine.

LOUIS A. STRAUBEL. ERNEST T. STRAUBEL. EDWARD L. STRAUBEL. Witnesses WM. J. KERNIN, Urro H. FmnDnL. 

